The heavily anticipated Black Cherry Sparkle Long Haul Trucker framesets have passed QC and are going into stock. They're purdy. Call your shop if you're after one, cuz u snooz u looz. Still and all, we're getting more in stock soon so don't break a sweat. -----

Quote O' The Day: "I used to stay in a different hotel, but they lost points when two years in a row either I didn't get a wake up call or participants in my tour group didn't get them and that's not good when you have to be at a prairie chicken blind at 4:30am." I found that on a random blog today in, on, or around the interweb. Also found on the other side of the digital divide was an announcement on the bulletin board of Evilcycling.com for an upcoming bike ride in the south MPLS area. The posting…

We finally got some snow accumulation in Minneapolis last week, so I decided to build a quinzie (snow cave) in my back yard. I'd built them as a kid, but never slept in one. So, I decided to try it Saturday night. As I expected, it was quite pleasant. The snow is great insulation from the noise and wind outside. It's roomy…the size of a 2-3 person tent, so I didn't feel claustrophobic in the least. After, I dragged all my overnight gear inside, I blew up my insulated sleeping pad and got my sleeping bag and bivy sack situated…

The weather forecast, for Friday, predicted temps in the 40's and 50's and sunshine. The forecast for Saturday was not quite as promising, but there was a fair chance that it would be dry. So, I decided to pack up the Pug and ride out to my hidden campsite in a western ‘burb of Minneapolis…about a 30-mile trek that follows paved and unpaved bike trails most of the way. I have racks on the Long Haul Trucker and the Pacer, and the Instigator Xtracycle is ready for action. Normally, I'd consider any of these for the trip as they've all…

Sunny and low 40s here in the mud bog known as MPLS. Wind is a little breeze, maybe 10-15mph out of the NW. That's downright balmy for Minnesota this time of year. I just got back from a holiday in the sun (cue Sex Pistols) which left me drained and filled, divided but whole, and sun burned while frostbitten (yes really. before i left a bunch of folks went for a ride on the coldest day of the year. although I was otherwise plenty warm, my apparently-large ear lobes stuck out under my hat and the right one got a…